


Surprises!

by Songofpsalms297



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Poor Bran, Soul Mate AU, They are adorkable, happy endings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-04
Updated: 2017-01-04
Packaged: 2018-09-14 15:56:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9190466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Songofpsalms297/pseuds/Songofpsalms297
Summary: Varric deals with Cassandra being on the road for the Seeker's of Truth.





	

 

Varric smiled at the memory of Cassandra sprawled out on his bed on her stomach, latest chapter of _Swords and Shields_ opened in front of her. Ankles crossed, her bottom lip chewed as she was drawn further and further into the story. That was two weeks ago, in the Hanged Man, just before Cassandra set out to recreate, renew, reform? the Seeker order. Varric sighed. Maker he was going to miss her. He rubbed his face in regret. He wished he’d pushed harder to keep her by his side, but he also knew she was impatient to remake her order into the honorable fraternity she’d always believed the Seekers of Truth to be. He remembered holding her, sobs wracking her frame, after discovering the depth of Lord Seeker Lucius’ betrayal. The scars he knew she carried in her heart at Daniel’s murder. He carried them himself. He knew how deeply Lucius’ betrayal of the Seekers had cut Cassandra; he’d felt it too. When he was a young boy of four, he’d been playing with Bartrand out in the yard when out of the blue, he’d felt like his heart had broken. His went into hysterics just knowing his parents were dead. It had taken both of his parents and a Chantry priest to calm him down. He was inconsolable for a week. When he was ten, three years before his father’s death, Varric was again inconsolable. He panicked, began frantically searching for Bartrand. He just knew someone had killed his brother. Brutally, abruptly, that Bartrand was dead. He ran through all their old haunts, until he found his brother, playing wicked grace with friends. Varric had collapsed near Bartrand sobbing with relief to find his brother alive and well. He was still haunted by the fear that Bartrand was going to die horribly, he hid it better than he had at four, he didn’t want his parents to follow through on their threats to send him to the Chantry in Starkhaven. The one that took care of people who needed magical mental healing. After years of thinking he was insane, he learned about soul mates from his many chats with Blondie who was an avid believer in them.

 

Varric had thought for a little while that Bianca was his soul mate, but the slightest examination of their relationship has proven to Varric that they weren’t. That she had left him at the altar for what’s his name, after promising her heart to Varric the night before was proof enough for him that she wasn’t his soul mate. He had been surprised to discover Lady Seeker Cassandra way-too-many-names Pentaghast was his soul mate. They’d made the discovery together beginning with her interrogation of him regarding Hawke’s whereabouts. That moment when he’d sarcastically replied, “You aren’t worried I’ll make things up?” she had leaned over him, hands placed on the arms of his chair, eyes locked, her sweet breath in his face, his heart had hitched when she snarked back, “not at all.” He knew then that there was something more than just attraction, not that she wasn’t hot, sexy, and a vision in her Seeker plate armor. He’d had to break eye contact to wipe the image of her without the armor out of his head.

 

There had been a lot of downtime on their travels from Kirkwall to Haven. They’d had the opportunity to talk more about family, life, beliefs, and soul mates. They had compared notes, Varric was a bit shocked to realize her parents had been murdered when they were four, and her brother’s brutal murder in front of her had occurred when she and Varric were ten. She had learned about Varric’s father’s heart attack when they were 13, and Varric’s mother’s death two years later. She had told him about 7 years before they met she had thought she was going insane. She and “Gaylan” had been together for about a week, and all of a sudden she had had a rage fill her, warped by the horrified shock of betrayal. They had talked, and Varric filled her in on Bartrand leaving he, Hawke, and party in the thaig. Tears rolled down her cheeks in sympathy, and he realized in that moment that he loved her for her tender heart.  


They’d grown very close over the following two years, with the formation of the inquisition, haven, all Corypheus’, and evil-magister machination-bull shit. And the priceless revelation that Cassandra read his work, and loved his crappiest work. That was almost as wonderful as discovering she was his soul mate to begin with. They had begun a relationship shortly after Haven fell, and they realized just how short life could be. And it had deepened over the subsequent year and a half. That first night he had risked it all, he had told her he loved her by candlelight. She had tearily accepted his love, and returned it with all the passion she held in her heart.

 

When the Inquisition had been disbanded in Val Royeaux a month ago, he had broached returning to Kirkwall, and Cassandra had reminded him of her pledge to rebuild the Seekers of Truth. They had traveled from Skyhold to Kirkwall together, laughing as they reminisced about Cullen’s seasickness. How the stalwart of commander of the mighty Inquisition had been laid low by the gentle rolling waves of the waking sea. And how much more enjoyable the return trip to Kirkwall was. They discussed their hopes and dreams for the future, possible marriage and whether it would be a chantry ceremony, or a Dalish hand-fasting by the Old Stone Tree. Varric chuckled, remembering the way Cassandra’s eyes lit up when he reminded Cassandra of Cullen, and Mahariel’s hand-fasting ceremony.

 

She’d kissed him goodbye two weeks ago. He woke this morning feeling like shit. He’d been so damned tired this whole week. This morning though, he’d thought he was hungry, when Bran had set Varric’s usual breakfast in front of him, Varric, to his own horror, took one sniff and bolted for the closest bathroom. He emptied his stomach, and had continued to fight waves of nausea all day long. The healer Bran sent for was perplexed by the sudden onset of Varric’s symptoms, including the lack of fever, but gave Varric peppermint tea to combat the nausea and recommended light foods.

 

Later in the week, he realized something was off with the rest of his system. He was still nauseous, and couldn’t drink anything other than that Maker damned tea, and some light elfroot crackers. He put on his favorite tunic, and his chest hurt. Almost like he’d been bruised in a wrestling match. The most horrifying change had occurred when he was reading Cass’ latest message, she was complaining of food poisoning, and planned to return home to Kirkwall to recover before setting out again, Varric had burst into tears in front of Bran. Varric told himself he was just so relieved that she was coming back to him, that he’d missed her so much, he was very happy. Bran’s eyebrows retreating into his hairline had caused Varric to laugh hysterically. Bran surreptitiously requested the healer return to treat the Viscount and his mysterious symptoms.

 

Two days before Cassandra was due to return to Kirkwall, it hit Varric like a ton of bricks. He’d written a few soul mate stories at the behest of his editor but they hadn’t sold well. _Swords and Shields_ was his most notorious attempt at it. He tried to hide his excitement, while battling unrelenting waves of nausea. In between runs to the bathroom, Varric gave Bran a list of things to make life easier for when his beloved Seeker returned to the keep. Every so often, the revelation of why he was suddenly sick, and feeling nothing like his normal self would occur, causing him to chuckle with pure joy. He was certain Bran thought he’d finally lost his mind. He couldn’t wait to talk to her.

 

Cassandra was pregnant. They were going to be parents.

 


End file.
